Hosiery and method of making the same



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 D. I. HARRIS I iii-.Cllilluiiiii:

Filed' April 22, 1958 HOSIERY AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Oct. 8, 1940.

flu/ 5 ATTORNEY.

B cndlplliiilll.

'D. J. HARRIS Oct. 8, 1940.

Patented Oct. 8, 1940 NnEo STATES oFrlc Dwight J. Harris, Philadelphia, re. Application April 22, 1938, Serial No. 203,471

' 8 Claims.

The presentiinvention relates to hosiery and method of making the same. More particularly, the invention pertains to knitted stockings of the type shown and described in my co-pending application, Serial Number 183,275, filed January 4, 1938, of which the present application is a continuation in part.

Asstated in my co-pending application aforesaid, the invention generally aims to provide a stocking having a welt constructed of weft knitted fabric so disposed that the wales thereof are di-' rected circumferentially of the stocking, whereby a run occurring in said welt will travel around,

and not lengthwise of, the stocking, so that such a run cannot pass beyond the Welt and enter into the leg portion, where it would become visible.

The primary object of the present invention resides in the provision of a novel manner of constructing and topping the weft knitted welt fabric whereby to produce a welt of distinctive characteristics and to facilitate the transfer thereof onto the needles of a fiat full-fashioned knitting machine for the interknitted connection of said welt with the leg fabric of the stocking and for the production ofa seam therebetween of increased strength and reduced bulkiness.

It is a specific feature of the present invention to provide a plain weft knit single thickness welt having finished selved'ges; one of said selvedges' being free to form the upper marginal edge of the stocking and the remaining selvedge being directly interknitted with the stocking leg.

It is also a characteristic feature of this invention to provide a stocking welt consisting of a single thickness of weft' knitted fabric havin finished selvedges, one selvedge adapted to. constitute the normal top edge of the stocking and the other selv edge including airow of open loops devised for interknitted connection with the leg portion of the stocking, said welt moreover having end rows of lock stitches intended to be gathered in a rear seam.

Still another important object of the invention contemplates the provision of a. welt fabric folded walewise to form a double ply welt and having a single ply tab adapted for interknitted connection with a stocking leg blank and provided with a invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter. In order that the invention and its mode of operation may be readily understood by those skilled in the art, I have, in the accompanying (or. ss '172) In these drawings:

Figure 1 diagrammatically illustrates a stocking made in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic representation of a fiat'knitted welt fabric construction.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic representation of a double ply welt fabric with a tab extending therefrom and adapted for direct interknitted connection with the leg fabric of a stocking.

Figure 4 is an enlarged diagrammatic representation of the preferred knitted structure of the welt and its interknitted connection with the leg fabric blank. I

Having more particular reference to the drawings, wherein like characters of reference will designate corresponding parts throughout, I have shown in Figure 1 a finished knitted stocking l of the type specified in my previously filed application aforesaid, and which consists of a welt fabric 2, and a'leg fabric 3 including the instep 4, the heel 5, sole 1!, and toe 6.

As will clearly appear from Figure 1, the wale loops 8 of the welt fabric extend in a direction at substantially right angles to the wale loops 9 of the leg fabric 3, that is, the wale loops 8 of the welt extend transversely or circumferentially of the stocking, whereas the wale loops 9 of the leg fabric extend longitudinally or lengthwise of the stocking. In this manner, should a run occur in any part of the welt, such a run will travel circumferentially of the stocking and not towards and into the leg, where it would be visible.

In accordance with the present invention, the welt fabric 2 is started in the usual manner on a suitable fiat knitting machine of any well known construction, thereby producing a weft knittedfabric blank having finished selvedges l6 and M respectively. As shown at E2, there is preferably formed at the beginning and end of the welt knitting, a row of lock stitches which prevent raveling of the fabric during subsequent handling thereof, for the purpose to be later specified.

Also, as more clearly shown in Figure 4, during the knitting of the successiyecourses IQ of the Well; fabric 2, a loop i6 is dropped in each of said courses at one end portion thereof, thereby forming an open wale l8 adjacent to, and paralleling the selvedge Ill of said fabric, in order to-facilitate the topping and direct interknitted connecmanner to be hereinafter described.

necessary, to knit the welt fabric with successive series of courses, the courses in the alternating series being constructedof normal or tight loops 20 and elongated or loose loops 22, thus imparting to the fabric a distinctive characteristic and increased stretchability.

Although individual welt fabrics may be made,

It is moreover found desirable, although not I prefer'to knit several of them in a-continuous strip from which each welt may subsequently be cut, in the manner stated in my co-pending application-hereinbefore identified, that is to say,

in making continuous strips of welt fabrics, it is advisable to form loose courses between the welt fabric, thus providing a clear dema'rkingand cutting line therebetween. Each loose course may be preceded and followed by one or more plain raveling courses, which separate the lock stitch courses l2 from the interposed loose course.

In manufacturing the stocking, acomplete welt fabric 2 is transferred to an ordinary fullfashioned leg knitting machine by engaging the needles thereof with the loops I8 of the open wale l8 adjacent the selvedge I of the welt fabric, whereupon the leg fabric 3 is knitted as a continuation thereof. The first course 24', of

' the leg fabric is preferably knitted with elongated loops 26, whereby the interlooping'of the I two fabrics, as shown at 28, may be had without creating a. bulky seam.

After completion of the fl'at'knitted stocking blank, the marginal edges of the same may be united together in the ordinary fashion to form ,the back seam -30, wherein'the lock stitches l2 of the welt fabric are gathered, leaving the exposed to construct the welt of a double ply fabric. The present invention accomplishes this desirable feature by providing the construction illustrated v in Figure 3.

The mode'of knitting, the fabric to form a double .ply welt will be clearly understood by reference .to said Figure 3, wherein is diagrammatically shown a fabric blank 32 which may be knitted in the same manner as the welt fabric 2 illustrated in Figure 2, with the exception that it is of greater width. A number of blanks, such as blank 32, may also be knitted in a continuous I strip from which the individual blanks may subfolded upon itself so that the selvedge edge 34 sequently be cut. The cut blank may then be lies slightly above the row of drop stitches'36 constituting the open wale 3'8 and suitably secured thereto by means of a looping, sewing, or

stitching operation, thus forming a double ply welt provided with a short extension or tab 40..

Said short extension or tab may then be topped upon a full-fashioned knitting'machine by engaging the needles thereof with the loops 36 of v the open wale 38 in the manner hereinbefore described in connection with the single thickness accordingly, a, run occurring in either type of welt 2.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that v whether the stocking ismade with a single thickness welt or with a double ply welt, the wales of the welt fabrics in both instances will extend at right angles to the wales of the leg fabric and,

welt fabric will not pass into .the leg, since such vrun willfollow the direction of the wale in which it occurs.

Itis to be understood that the invention is capable of other modifications and, therefore, any modifications coming within the scope of the,

. ing wale loops in certain successive cours subjoined claims is to be considered within the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A knitted stocking comprising a weft knitted double ply welt terminating with a tab provided with a row of open stitches, and a\weft knitted leg having an interknitted' connection with the row of openstitches of said tab, the wales'of the welt extending circumferentially of the stocking and the wales of the leg extending longitudinally of the stocking.

2. A stocking welt comprising a weft knitted fabric provided with selvedge portions and having v a wale of open topping stitches in one of its selvedge sections and a-course of lock stitches in each of its diametrically opposed end sections.

A stocking weltcomprising a weft knitted fabric provided with selvedge portions and folded walewiseupon itself to provide a double ply of fabric having its wales running transversely thereof and a tab depending from said welt an having a row of open topping stitches.

4. A stocking'welt comprising a'weft knitted fabric provided with selvedge portions and having.

tending longitudinally of the stocking:- a welt comprising a weft knitted selvedge portion folded walewise upon itself to provide a double ply of fabric having its wales running at substantially right angles to the wales of the leg, anda tab depending from said welt and having a wale of open stitches interknitted with the wales of said leg.

6. In a stocking of the chai acter described, the combination with a stocking leg having its wales extending iongitudinally of the stocking: a stocking welt comprising a weft knitted s'elvedge fabric portion having a courseof locked stitches ineach of. its diametrically opposed end sections and folded walewise upon itself to provide a double ply of fabric having its wales running at substantially right angles to the wales of the leg, and a tab depending from said welt and having a wale of open stitches interknitted with the' 7. The method of maklng'stockings comprising 'flat weft knitting a welt fabric, forming awale' 5 of open loops at one selvedge portion of said welt fabric, forming a course of locked stitches at the beginning and end of the welt fabric, transferring said welt fabric to a full-fashioned knitting machine by engaging the needles thereof with said open loops, knitting. a leg portion fabric thereonto and completing the stocking with a back seam enclosing said lock stitches.

.8. The, method of .making stockings comprising flat weft knitting a welt fabric, dropping a d oinconstituting the welt fabric to form a topping wale 1 in'one selvedge portion of said welt'fabr ic, transferring loops in certain courses of "the welt'fabric to form a row of locked sttches at the'b'eginnin and end of said ,welt fa ric, transferring said welt fabric to a full-fashionedknitting machine by engaging the needles thereof with said topping wale, and knitting a leg fabric thereonto.

DWIGHT J.'I-IARRIS.- 5 

